Sagre in the Province of Pisa: Chestnuts, Truffles, Wild Boar and Porcini

The province of Pisa has a well-established calendar of sagre — local food festivals rooted in specific agricultural products and specific places. These are not general food fairs but events tied to the seasonal produce of particular towns and hillsides: chestnuts from the Monte Pisano woods above Buti, white truffles from the San Miniato hills, wild boar and game from the Pisan countryside, porcini from the surrounding forests. The five below recur annually; dates shift slightly from year to year, so check individual festival websites for the current edition.

Sagra della Castagna — Buti

Buti is a small town at the foot of Monte Pisano, about 20 km east of Pisa. Its chestnut festival, the Sagra della Castagna, runs on three consecutive weekends in October at Parco Danielli — a covered outdoor venue that handles large crowds. Chestnuts have been part of the local economy and diet here for centuries; the festival takes the product seriously rather than using it as decoration. The menu covers caldarroste (roasted chestnuts), neccini (thin chestnut pancakes cooked on cast iron), frittelle (fried chestnut dough), and castagnaccio (chestnut flour cake with pine nuts and rosemary). Other local dishes from the Buti tradition are served alongside. Dinner on Saturdays from around 19:30; lunch on Sundays from around 12:30. Check visitbuti.it for current year dates.

Sagra del Tartufo Bianco e del Fungo Porcino — Balconevisi, San Miniato

San Miniato, in the eastern part of the Pisa province, is one of Italy’s most important white truffle territories. The surrounding hills produce Tuber magnatum pico — the same species as the more famous Alba truffle — from October through December. The village of Balconevisi, just above San Miniato, hosts the Sagra del Tartufo Bianco e del Fungo Porcino on the third weekend of October each year. This is distinct from the larger Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di San Miniato, which runs on three weekends in November and is the province’s main truffle market event. The Balconevisi festival is smaller and more local: food stalls with truffle-based dishes, a mycological exhibition, and a truffle-dog display. The Mangialonga — a guided walk through the truffle-producing forests with food stops — typically takes place on the Sunday. Check the San Miniato tourist office for current dates.

Sagra della Polenta e del Cinghiale — Castelfranco di Sotto

Held annually in September at the Contrada San Bartolomeo in Castelfranco di Sotto, this festival is built around two products that define Tuscan country cooking: stone-ground polenta and wild boar. The signature dish is polenta “a palle” — a dense, coarsely milled version served with toppings including wild boar ragù, sausages, porcini, and pancetta. Fried polenta is also served. The festival runs over two weekends in September and typically includes live music in the evenings. A gluten-free menu is available. Check the Castelfranco di Sotto municipality website for the current year’s programme.

Sagra della Lepre e del Cinghiale — Selvatelle, Terricciola

The village of Selvatelle, in the municipality of Terricciola in the wine-producing hills south of Pontedera, hosts this game festival on several weekends from late September through mid-October. The centrepiece is pappardelle al sugo di lepre — wide-ribboned pasta with slow-cooked hare sauce, a dish found across rural Tuscany but rarely at this quality in a festival context. Also served: lepre in salmì (hare braised in red wine with aromatics), grilled wild boar, and boar steak. The event is held in covered venues. Terricciola’s wine cooperative produces Sangiovese and Vermentino from the surrounding hills, available at the festival. Check the Terricciola municipality site for dates.

Sagra del Porcino e della Chianina — Castelfranco di Sotto

A second major festival in Castelfranco di Sotto, running over five consecutive weekends from early October to early November. The pairing — porcini mushrooms from the surrounding forests and Chianina beef, one of the oldest cattle breeds in the world and the basis for bistecca alla fiorentina — is unusual for a sagra in that it combines a foraged product with a premium breed rather than cheap cuts. Dishes include porcini-stuffed pasta, grilled Chianina, and mushroom-based sauces. The extended run (five weekends) makes it easy to combine with other events in the province during autumn. Check the local proloco for the current year’s programme.

Practical Notes

• Season: Most Pisa province sagre fall in September and October, aligning with the chestnut, truffle, mushroom, and game seasons. October is the most concentrated month.
• Getting there: Buti and Castelfranco di Sotto are 20–30 km from Pisa; San Miniato is about 40 km east. Selvatelle (Terricciola) is roughly 35 km south of Pisa on the road toward Volterra. A car is necessary for all five.
• Timing: Evening service on Saturdays typically begins around 19:30; Sunday lunch from 12:30. Arrive early as popular sagre fill up quickly.
• San Miniato truffle market: The full Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di San Miniato runs on three weekends in November and is the main event for buying and tasting white truffle in the province — larger and more commercial than the October Balconevisi festival.